What’s a brand? What’s branding?
WHAT IS A BRAND?
If you’re anything like Brandan, you’re probably sick and tired of asking what a brand is and having the answer to that question be a very long list of things a brand isn’t.
That makes no sense, right? You want to know what a brand is, and someone responds, “Well, it’s not…” It’s not a logo, it’s not the colors you use on your website, it’s not what you offer...
Ugh.
So what IS a brand...exactly?
A BRAND IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN ORGANIZATION AND PEOPLE
Most socialpreneurs misinterpret the definition of a brand and think to themselves, “Yes, a brand is all about relationship building, and I am trying to build a relationship with a bunch of people.”
It’s a very common misunderstanding that goes back to the origins of branding so to make sure you don’t fall victim to it, let’s first consider a more familiar relationship in your life - a friendship.
You can point to a friend.
You can hug a friend.
You can even tell a friend your deepest, darkest secrets.
You can highlight ways the friendship makes your lives better and discuss the ups and downs you’ve experienced over the years.
You can list - and in some cases touch or hear - artifacts that show evidence of the friendship such as objects, songs, or photos from some of your favorite pastimes together.
But, the one thing you can’t do is point to the friendship.
That’s because the social tie of friendship isn’t a tangible thing.
IT’S A SHARED EFFORT TO ASSIGN MEANING
Shared means together. It’s collaborative.
Effort means work, right? We’re going to have to try.
Assign means to indicate that something has a particular purpose or name.
Meaning is what’s conveyed or intended to be conveyed by something that’s said, seen, or done - by some kind of interaction.
So, putting that all together - friendship is a collaborative attempt to give significance to interactions.
More commonly, we call it a relationship. It’s an attachment or bond between (or among) friends.
At the heart of the friendship is a shared and co-created sense of identity:
of why together “we” matter - why this relationship exists,
of the vibe and behaviors we’ve come to expect from our interactions, and
of the story we tell about how we came to be and stay so connected as friends.
THAT MEANS IT’S AN IDEA
It’s an idea made real by how and what you both do, and expressed through the stories you both tell. You don’t fully control it, and neither does your friend. It takes both of you for the friendship to exist.
There’s no one way to have a friendship. Most of us get - and give - a little something different with each friendship. And, what makes a friendship last is not about finding the perfect person - you know that special someone who won’t make you change, who’s just like you, or who likes all the same things you do.
But, there is one thing thriving and healthy friendships have in common - they’re mutual rather than one-directional or transactional. You’d probably bail - and have bailed - from a friendship that was always about the other person...one that had you always going to visit them, always listening to them talk about their life, always doing what they wanted… Lasting friendships go both ways.
A brand is a relationship, too. It’s just a relationship between an organization and people.
That means that, like a thriving friendship, a lasting brand:
is a collaborative attempt to give significance to interactions (it’s co-created)
is a social tie that requires people involved for it to exist
is often visible in artifacts that show evidence of its existence
is centered around a shared a sense of identity - a “why,” vibe, and story of us
is mutual, not one-directional or transactional
And, as with a friendship, you can’t point to a brand because isn’t a tangible thing. It’s an idea, made real by how and what all do, and expressed through the stories you all tell about it.
HERE’S THE CATCH...YOU’RE NOT THE ORGANIZATION
Even if you started or are an employee of an organization, you are not the organization.
An organization - be it a business, association, town, cause, or other effort - is an idea. An idea cannot act, make a commitment, or take responsibility.
People can act in service of an idea or concept, but falling into the habit of always thinking of yourself as the organization positions you to force an identity on others (and lose your own identity as part of the community). When that happens, the relationship becomes one-directional and people bail - just like you are likely to bail when a friendship isn’t mutual.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE THINKING OF YOURSELF AS THE ORGANIZATION?
Do you use the word “our” when talking about community members (e.g., “our” donors, “our” residents, “our” board members, etc.)?
Do you say “us” or “we” when you actually mean only the staff ( “We invite you to…,” “We need your help…,” “Join us…,” “Help us reach our goal…,” “Check out all the great things we’ve been doing…”)?
Have you been thinking about the best way to tell the organization’s story and update people about what you’ve been doing?
Answered yes to any of these questions? These actions create and signal an “us” (the organization) versus “them” (the people “we” want to reach) mindset. Us, our, and we are words meant for use among peers who share an identity - but that’s not how you’re using them.
YOU’RE ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE BRAND EQUATION
Just like the people you and your colleagues would love to reach, you (and your colleagues) have a relationship with the idea of the organization, too.
So, a brand is a relationship between an idea and people, and you are one of the people.
That means that to build a brand, you’ll first need to shift your thinking from “me” (the organization) to “we” - all of us who have a relationship with this idea.
Because, together you’re one big “we.”
This concept of “we” - all of us who have a relationship with this particular idea - is the building block of a brand.
You, all the people who work for the organization, and all the people who in some way engage with the organization - together, you share an identity.
UNCOVERING AND ACTIVATING A SHARED IDENTITY IS WHAT BRANDING IS ALL ABOUT
People in a relationship think and act collectively towards a common purpose. They have similar goals, values, beliefs, and dreams, which enables them to develop a spirit of - what researchers like John Gottman call - “we-ness.”
In fact, research reveals that the success of relationships comes down to “we-ness.” The more “we-ness” in a relationship, the more likely it is to thrive. Since a brand is a relationship…you guessed it…the more “we-ness,” the more likely the brand is to thrive.
“We-ness” is what creates belonging, hopefulness, and togetherness. It tethers people to one another and the relationship.
It’s what makes people say to themselves, “This is SO me. Why the heck haven’t I done this yet?!”
WITHOUT “WE-NESS,” YOU HAVEN’T GIVEN PEOPLE A REASON TO CARE
Just because you’re doing good in the world doesn’t mean people will care. In fact, they probably don’t...or you wouldn’t be reading this article now would you?
Remember, the brands built around a common purpose - with similar goals, values, beliefs, and dreams - are the ones that develop a spirit of “we-ness” that helps people notice, desire, remember, and value them.
So, now that you know a brand is a relationship between an organization and people and that branding is a strategy to uncover and activate the authentic “we-ness” that’s unique to the relationship, it’s time to build an irresistible brand people will love...that lasts the test of time…so you can be a successful socialpreneur who changes the world for the better.
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